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Coffee
By James Grierson, Fri Dec 9th
Coffee is a plant. However, before it can be drunk it must passthrough a number of stages and travel thousands of miles. Coffee beans come from the red cherries of the coffea bush. Eachcherry usually contains two seeds, or coffee beans. Theexception to this is the Peaberry, where only one bean isproduced. The flavour a bean produces is affected by where thecoffea bush is grown. Soil, climate and altitude all alter theway coffee tastes; this is why, for example, coffee fromColumbia will differ in taste from region to region and fromyear to year.
Most coffee comes from two species of the coffea bush: Coffeaarabica,
simply known as 'arabica'; and Coffea canephora var.robusta, simply
known as 'robusta'. Robusta beans are cheaper tobuy then arabica beans
because they produce coffee with aninferior flavour, containing more
caffeine. When the red cherries have been harvested from the
coffea bush,the outer layers of pulp and skin must be removed to
reveal thegreen coffee beans inside. There are two common methods
of doingthis: the 'natural' or dry method, and the 'washed' or wetmethod.
The natural process of removal tends to give coffee afull-bodied
yet mild aroma, whereas the washed process yieldsstrongly aromatic
coffee, with a fine body and a lively acidity. In the washed
method the outer pulp is removed using amechanical pulping machine
before the cherry is immersed into afermentation tank for between
12 to 32 hours, after which theremaining pulp and skin is washed
off, revealing the green bean.Finally, the bean is left out in
a sunny area for between 12 to15 days to dry. In the natural
method, the cherry is simply left to dry out inthe sun for up
to four weeks. During this
time the pulp and skinbecome shrivelled and can then be easily removed.The coffee beans are then sorted and graded by size and density.Generally the larger the coffee beans the better the coffee. Thelargest bean is known as 'Maragogype' or Elephant bean. There isno international grading system for coffee beans, with differentcountries using alternative systems. For example, in manyAfrican countries, the highest grade of coffee is AA, whereas,in Indonesia it is Grade 1. Green coffee beans must first be roasted before they can be usedto make a cup of coffee. The roasting process produces theprimary flavour and aroma of coffee. Beans are roasted by askilled coffee roaster, who judges how long to roast the beansin order to produce the optimum taste. For example, Javanesecoffee is usually roasted for a lengthy time to give it afull-bodied and earthy flavour. However, if heat is applied tothe beans for too long, it will destroy this flavour and give ita burnt aroma. The final process before you can enjoy your cup of coffee isgrinding. The coffee beans need to be ground ready to infuse,using your preferred brewing method. Different brewing methodsrequire a different coarseness of coffee in order to produce thebest possible taste. For example, using a cafetiere you needcoarse coffee grounds, whereas when using a stove-top espressomaker you require a much finer grind.
About the author:James Grierson is the owner of Galla Coffee:http://www.gallacoffee.co.uk
- Uk online retailer of designercoffee accessories. Through the Coffee
Knowledge section of hiswebsite he aims to help people understand
more about coffee andgive them tips on how to make great tasting
coffee in their home. |
